half_lifefandomcom-20200222-history
Central AI Chamber
The Central AI Chamber,"signage_you_are_here01.vtf" to "signage_you_are_here05.vtf" in the Portal 2 game files a setting for many major events in Portal and Portal 2, is a large bay that houses a body for the Central Core to manage most of the Aperture Science Enrichment Center. Throughout the series, GLaDOS controls many aspects of the Enrichment Center through her status as the Central AI. In the climax of Portal 2, Wheatley took over the position; however, he was extremely ignorant, and nearly caused the facility to explode as a result. Overview Portal The room was a large octagonal chamber in the center of the Enrichment Center, in which GLaDOS was stored while suspended from the ceiling. In the small lobby area, the Aperture Science Red Phone is located next to several computers. Under a concealed door, a Rocket Sentry was kept, seemingly for security, and numerous monitor screens line the walls and encircle GLaDOS. Near the climax of Portal, Chell escapes GLaDOS' testing tracks and makes her way to the core room. Upon finally reaching the chamber, GLaDOS continues lying about having tried to kill her and pretends to have accidentally dropped the Morality Core onto the ground. Chell promptly disposes of this core into a nearby incinerator, causing GLaDOS to reveal that doing so frees her from the restrictions implanted on her to prevent usage of neurotoxin in the facility. Chell eventually defeats her by disposing all of her cores and killing her. Although the remains of GLaDOS' body parts were primarily scattered around the parking lot in front of a barely-conscious Chell, it is unknown whether this was a non-canonical appearance as, given her initial appearance in Portal 2, after the explosion her body would have had to have fallen back into the chamber. Alternatively, it's possible that the Party Escort Bot dragged these components back into the facility, as they were of major importance and a security breach if left in the open. Portal 2 The chamber has been heavily damaged due to the climax of Portal, and is almost entirely in ruins and overrun with nature. GLaDOS' remains are scattered around the room. After Wheatley accidentally reactivates her through the Main Breaker Room, GLaDOS disposes of him by crushing and tossing him aside, possibly to prevent the Announcer from detecting the presence of a substitute core and thus causing a core transfer. When Chell returns by Wheatley's assistance to the room at the midpoint of the game, the room has been completely reconstructed in a form bearing little resemblance to the original chamber created by Aperture staff (it is unknown whether GLaDOS did these renovations to keep it from collapsing, or if the chamber DID collapse and GLaDOS rebuilt it completely). Despite this, it appears protocol has forced GLaDOS to retain specific elements of the chamber as part of design, including a Core Transfer Hatch and a Stalemate Resolution Annex (or they may have survived the events of Portal and GLaDOS was never aware of either of them). Via Core Transfer, GLaDOS' core is removed from her body and replaced with Wheatley's, giving him control of the facility. The power almost immediately takes over Wheatley, prompting him to transfer GLaDOS' core into a potato battery and plunge both her and Chell into the depths of the facility. The chamber is witnessed again at the end of the game upon Chell and GLaDOS' return to the upper structure and completion of several tests composed by Wheatley. Since the last visit, Chell has inadvertently sent pumps of Mobility Gels up into the new facility, which she witnesses are being pumped under the room, along with bombs. It also appears Wheatley has decided to raise the room closer to the surface. Eventually, Wheatley is defeated by the duo and GLaDOS manages to have the previously hidden Core Transfer Hatch plug her back into her body. When Chell awakes after losing consciousness, the room is shown to have been reverted back to its previous form and location by GLaDOS, having been sunken back down deeper into the facility. The length of Chell's elevator ride up to the surface shows just how far down the room has moved, although not to any exact unit. Trivia * Despite the fact that the white Core Transfer Hatch was never seen in the first Portal, it might be safe to assume that the hatch is a retcon, and therefore technically had always existed underneath GLaDOS. In Portal 2, the only reason the hatch was not seen was due to it being covered in rust and various debris. * Although the Core Transfer Hatch is never directly seen in Wheatley's configuration of the room, it is proven to have been hidden by the panels beneath him. This is proven when GLaDOS and Chell were pulled by the Core Transfer maintenance arms after Wheatley was disposed of. *During the second visit to the chamber in Portal 2, the rocket sentry hatch from Portal is clearly visible between 2 small sets of stairs leading up to the Stalemate resolution button. However the hatch is never seen in use. Behind the scenes * According to concept art of Portal 2, the player was originally meant to enter the chamber through the catwalks surrounding it.[[:File:Portal 2 PotatoFoolsDay ARG Ruined Enrichment Center.jpg|Original Portal 2 chamber entrance concept]] However, they were completely removed at some point in development in favor of reusing the original entrance. * There are several unused textures within the game files of Portal 2 that suggests there were originally going to be various signage that informs the player that they are approaching the Central A.I. chamber. Gallery ''Portal'' Concept art File:Aperture room concept.jpg|Concept art for the lobby. File:Glados room concept.jpg|Ditto, with the four pillars numbered. File:Glados concept2.jpg File:Glados concept1.jpg Screenshots File:Glados chamber outside.jpg|GLaDOS' chamber seen from the outside. File:Catwalks glados.jpg|Numerous catwalks seen nearby GLaDOS' chamber. File:Glados chamber lobby.jpg|The lobby of GLaDOS' chamber. File:Glados room fizzler.jpg|The Material Emancipation Grill in the room's entrance. File:Escape 020000.jpg|Aperture Science Red Phone in the lobby of GLaDOS' chamber. File:GLaDOS Central AI Chamber Portal.jpg|GLaDOS as seen in the Central AI Chamber. File:Glados bunker.jpg|The bunker housing the incinerator button is found. File:Glados chamber incinerator.jpg|The Emergency Intelligence Incinerator. File:Neurotoxins countdown.jpg|The neurotoxin flooding the chamber against the countdown. File:Glados destroy1.jpg|GLaDOS ascends while being destroyed. File:Glados destroy2.jpg File:Glados destroy3.jpg ''Portal 2'' Pre-release Concept art File:Central AI Chamber Concept Art Portal 2.jpg|Wrecked Central AI generators. File:Chell facing glados concept.jpg|Chell standing before a lifeless GLaDOS. File:Chell jungle.jpg|Ditto. File:Glados outside jungle2.jpg|A booted up GLaDOS as seen through a portal. File:Songs to test by 1 full.jpg|Album art for Portal 2: Songs To Test By, featuring a rebooted GLaDOS. File:Portal 2 PotatoFoolsDay ARG Chell In Ruined Facility Concept Art.jpg|Ruins of the chamber. Screenshots File:Glados meet again talk.jpg|Early Central AI Chamber. File:Glados outside jungle.jpg|Ditto. Retail Screenshots File:Glados chamber ruined.jpg|Exterior of GLaDOS' ruined chamber. File:Glados destruction.jpg|A lifeless GLaDOS in the ruins of the chamber. File:Main breaker room.jpg|The main breaker room, hidden beneath the chamber. File:Wheatley cracking glados.jpg|Wheatley attached to the Core Input Receptacle and accidentally powering up GLaDOS. File:Glados_after_awakening.jpg|GLaDOS after awakening in her ruined chamber. File:Glados awakens.jpg|GLaDOS grabbing Chell and Wheatley with mobile pincers. File:P2 Central AI chamber.jpg|The reconstructed chamber as seen in the middle of the game. File:Chell facing GLaDOS in Central AI Chamber Portal.jpg|Chell facing GLaDOS in the latter's reconstructed chamber. File:Glados neurotoxin tube.jpg|A tube is lowered as an attempt to poison Chell with neurotoxin. File:Glados wheatley tubes.jpg|Wheatley rolling into the neurotoxin ventilation tubes. File:Stalemate resolution annex.jpg|Stalemate Resolution Annex unveiling itself. File:Glados_core_transfer.jpg|GLaDOS during her forced core transfer procedure. File:Wheatley_finale_lair.jpg|Wheatley in his configuration of the Central AI Chamber. File:Neurotoxins_countdown_wheatley.jpg|Wheatley deploying neurotoxin into his version of the chamber. File:Portal 2 Boss Fight Bomb1.jpg|Wheatley throwing the Aperture Science Bombs. File:Glados core retransfer.jpg|GLaDOS dragged back to her body in Wheatley's configuration of the room. File:Glados ending monologue.jpg|GLaDOS during the ending monologue. Game files File:Signage you are here01.png|The unused Central AI Chamber signage. List of appearances * Portal * Portal 2: Lab Rat * Portal 2 * The Final Hours of Portal 2 References Category:Portal Category:Portal 2 Category:Aperture Science locations Category:Locations